Wire-bending machine



Aug. 16, 1927.

y 4 1,639,397 w. cLousE wma BENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 13, 1926 5 sheets-sheen atroz/nunc.

Aug. 16', 19217. 1,639,397

W. L. CSLOUSE WIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 13, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 70u56 @www l I Y f I l lAug. 16,1927` Y 1,639,397

"w, L. cLousE AWIRE BENDING MACHINE FiledNov. 13, 192e 3 sheets-sheet i5 illustrated in Figure 3.

Patented Aug. 16, 19827.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM L. CLOUSE,.OF TFFIN,.OHIOL,.ASSIGNQR1TO THENATIONL F TIIEFIN, OHIO;v

Mmm-INEM co.

WIYREsBENDING.' MACHINE.,

Application mea November. 13, 192e. serial 110,148,292-

This invention relates to a machine d"eY signed for bending wire into the form of' a ligure 8. Heretofore, preparatory to feeding wire tov a hot heading machine or the like, it has been the practice t'o ldirect the wire through a heating furnace. eral rule the wire has been formed' in` a circular' coil.

io like a figure 8, a larger amount of wire can be introduced into the heating furnace at one time and thereby reduce the time requiredv to heat the wire.

, It is an object of the present toV provide mechanism by means of which a. length of wire lcanbe readily benty into a figure 8 coil.

A. further object is to provide a mechanism ofv thischaracter no part of which need extend into the furnace, themechanism operating to feed th-e advancing endof the coil into the furnace.

' With the foregoing and othery objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being 4understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed', without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form ofthe invention hasbeen shown.

1n saiddrawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine-L Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, the stock support-ing reel and the stock guides being removed and part of the 'furnace beingI shown. in Figure 3 Vis an eievation, of the bending or less in diagram, the first stepof the bend'- ing` method. n

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the parts Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the secondV step in thev bending method. l

Figure 6 is a side elevation ofl the structure positioned as in Figure 5. Y

Figure 7 is a view similar to-Fi'gure 5 showing the third step of the bending positionedA as in.. Figure 7.v

As a gen- It has been found, however,l that by forming the wire into a coil shaped elements of the machine illustrating, more Figure 9 is a` view similar to Figure 7' showing the fourth step ofthe bending method.

Figure 10 is a side elevation ofthe parts; positioned as in Figure 9.v

Figure 11l is a. view similar to Figure9` showingr the fifth step of' the bending method'.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the partsI positioned asin Figure 11'. l i

Referring to vthe figures by characters of reference 1'- designa-tesv the frame of the ma.- chine adapted' to be set up outsidev of but close tio a heating furnace indicated generally at 2 and which furnace has a coil receiving opening 3. Journaled in the structure 1 is a mutilated gear v4E having" opposed series of peripheral teeth adapted successively to engage and' vintermittently rotate mutilated' gears 5 and 6 secured: tov shafts? adjacent the respective sides of the structure 1. Each of`l these shafts has a crank 'army 8 extending from one end.v thereof andi pivotally connected. to. and. ,supported by these crank arms is a cross bar 9'having depending ears 10 to which the crank, arms 8- are attached. The two crank arms. 8 are. in the same positions` to their respective gears and7 therefore, as the gears are rotated simultaneously back. and forth through 180 the bar 9 will be maintained horizontal' as it is moved toward one side of the machine and thentowardv the other side successively. Any suitable means may' beemployed for rotating the gears 5 and 6 back and, forth. For example, and as shown in Figure 2', the gear 4s may be provided with a wrist pin 12' connected by a pitman 13 to a crank v14:' rotatable with a shaft 19. This` shaft has a gear 18 driven by a gear 17 carried by the main drive shaft 15.' 'Thus during the continuous rotation of shaft 15. a back and forth rotation of shaft 1,1 and gear 4 will' be set up and produce a.. corresponding rotation ofthe gears 5 and 6,v the parts beingso proportioned that these gears and 6 will be rotatedV through 180 orless, as required. Driveshaft 15 has a gear 17 meshing with a gear 18 secured to. ay shaft 19'. 'Mounted on one face'of' the gear 18 are concentric cams 20 ,and121 andy cooperating with the respective cams are. rollers 22 and 23 mounted on fingers 24y extending toward each other from the lower ends of levers 25 and 26k respectively. To

iio

the width of the wingv 30. Opposed portions of the head 29 extend slight-ly beyond the core as shown at The two heads 29 and their wings 30 are of the same size and proportions and differ solely in the fact that the cores 31 extend in opposite directions froin the respective heads. In other words the fiat sides of the cores are parallel and toward each other as will be apparentby referring particularly to Figure 1.

Arranged in advancev of the heads 29 is a matrix 33 provided, in one face, with scparate rounded recesses 34 and 35 respectively there being a longitudinal groove 36in the bottom of each of these recesses and in .line

`with the lower portion of the adjacent head i 29. f

YThe cams 2O and 2l are so shaped andV proportioned that, during the continuous rotation of gear 18, one of the heads 29 will be advanced while the other head is vbeing retracted. As each head is advanced the wing 30 first enters the recess inadvance thereof after` which the core 3l enters said recess and is Jfollowed by the lower portion of the head 29 which enters and is guided by the groove 36.

' Collar 9 is provided with a longitudinal flange 37 extending froin the bar toward the furnace 2 and having a longitudinal slot 33. Extending downwardly from the bar adjacent the ends of the liange 37 are oppositely disposed former dies 39 and 40 respectively, each of these former dies having its lower end rounded to conforin with the contour of one of the recesses in the inatrix, and each of the foriner dies also having a slot 41 extending upwardly thereinto from its lower end and sufciently large to receive one of the wings 30 and heads 29. The former dies 39 and 40 are spaced apart such a distance thatwhen the bar 9 is at one extreme position, as shown for example in Figure l, the former die 40 will be seated ini the recess 34 whereas, when the bar 9 is in its other extreme position the former die 39 will be seated within the recess 35. Thus it will be seen that during the back and forth oscillation of bar 9 the forrner diesy will be successively seated within their respective recesses. j A reel`42 is supported 'at any desired wire downwardly into the recess 35. rit

this tinie the wing 30 is back of and removed` from said recess as shown particularly in Figures 3 and 4. immediately following this operation the head 29 vback of recess is advanced so that the wing 30 enters the slot 4l in the forrner die 39 so that the parts assunie the positions shown in Figures 5 and 6. lnnnediately thereafter the former die 39 swings upwardly away from the recess 35 and leaves the wing 30 in position over the bent portion of the wire iff. As the former die 39 leaves the recess 35 the core 3l, which has been gradually Vadvancing with the head 29, assumes a position within the recess 35 and upon the bent portion of the wire as shown particularly in'Figui-es 7 and 3. At the saine time the lower projecting portion of the head 29 is sliding within the groove 30. Further` actuation of the rnecl .tnisrn will cause the die to swing laterally and downwardly againstthe wire stock, causing the wire Vto bend over the fornier die 39 and downwardly into the recess 34 where it will be shaped between the former diesand the matrix as shown in Figures 9 and l0. .fis the forn'ier 'die Ll() reaches this position the head and core in recess 35 are inoved forwardly suiicient distance to cause the projecting portions 33 of head 29 to push against the formed loop of wire in recess 35 and thrust` it ont `of 'the recess toward the inlet of the furnace. lin-- niediately following this action the head and core begin to withdraw from recess 35 and, during such withdrawal, the other head 29 and its core 39 'niove into the recess where the saine action takes place as has already been described in connection with the recess 35. Consequently as the machine operates the wire is rapidly bent into a figure 8 coil and it is at the saine tinie fed longitudinally froin the matrix 33 so that. the coil will enter the furnacer 2 and be heated prior to being fedvthrough an outletA 44 in the furnace to the header or other' machine used in connection therewith.

Although the parts have been described and shown as arranged to receive wire fed downwardly to the matrix, :it is to be understood that the angle of the working parte to the horizontal can be varied to suit ldie conditions under which thev machine is to be used.

t is Valso to be understood that various changes may be inade in the mechanism used for operating the several parts, it merely being essential that the former dies, heads and cores operate in properly timed relation.

What is claimed is: Y

l. A machine for bending Wire into a iigure 8 coil including a stationary shaping element having separate stock receiving recesses, shaping cores movable into the respective recesses,emeans for advancing 'and retracting the cores alternately, and separate forming dies for bending stock successively over the respective cores and into the recesses.

2. rIhe combination with a die having spaced recesses for receiving stock, cores movable into and out ofthe respective recesses, and means for alternately actuating the cores, of separate means for successively bending stock within a recess prior to the insertion of a core and for bending the stock over the core subsequent to the insertion of the core. f

3. A machine for bending wire stock into a figure 8 coil, including a die member having separate recesses, of a former diefor bending stock within the recess, means movable into the recess for holding the bent stock in position therein, a core movable.to position into engagement with the bent stock, a former diemovable against the stock to bend it over the core and into the other recess, andmeans movable with the Vcore for shifting the bent portion of the,

stock from the recess.

4. A machine for bending Wire stock into a figure 8 coil, including a matrix having spaced recesses, separate former dies movable into the respective recesses, cores mounted for movement into and out of the respective recesses, a holding portion movable with each core, each former die having a slot for the reception of the holding portion of one of the cores, and means for actuating the former dies and cores in properly timed relation to bend the wire stock in one of the recesses between the matrix and one of the former dies, advance one of the holding means into said recess to position within the former die and above the bent portion of the stock, withdraw the former die from engagement with the stock, position the core Within the recess and upon the bent portion of the stock, and to shift the other former die to position against the stock to bend it over the core and into the other recess.

5. A machine for bending Wire stock into a ligure 8 coil including a matrix having spaced recesses, separate heads movable into the respective recesses, cores carried by the respective heads, separate former dies movable into the respective recesses, each die in the recess, advance the head to position.

the core upon the bent portion of the stock, shift another former die against the stock to bend the stock over the core and linto the other' recess, press the head against the bent stock to eject it from its recess, and then retract the head from engagement With the stock and from the recess.

v6. In a machine for bending Wire stock into a figure 8 coil, a matrix vhaving separate recesses, connected formerL dies, means for imparting oscillation to both former dies simultaneously to position them successively `Within the respective recesses, cores, and means for moving the cores into the respective recesses subsequent to the insertion of a former die thereinto and for withdrawing the core from said recess subsequent to the Withdrawal of the former die therefrom.

7. The combination with a heating furnace having anl inlet, and means for supporting a supply of Wire stock, of means interposed therebetween for simultaneously shaping the wire stock into a ligure 8 coil andshifting the stock into the furnace inlet.

8. rlhe combination with a heating furnace and means for supporting wire stock, of means interposed therebetween for bending the stock into a figure 8 coil and feeding the coil into the furnace, said means including a matrix having spaced recesses, oscillating former dies for alternate insertion into the respective recesses, cores mounted` for reciprocation into and out of the r'espectiverecesses in properly timed relation with the former dies, and means movable with the cores for ejecting shapedv stock from the recesses.

9. A machine for forming wire stock into a ligure 8 coil, including a matrix having separate recesses, slotted former dies, means for actuating said dies simultaneously to position them successively,K into the respective recesses to shape stock, heads mounted for reciprocation, means for actuating the heads to advance and retract them relative to the respective recesses, a core movable with each head, and holding means in adture.

WILLIAM L. CLOUSE. 

